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Unitarian in the true sense of the word ; the dogmas of Mr . Belsham annexed to it were supposed to be part of his creed .
Mr . Belsham has certainly a right to use words in what sense he pleases ; but it does not follow , that the sense he chooses to give it is the true sense
of the word . He may say , if he pleases , that he is an Unitarian , and nobody else is an Unitarian but who believes according to his standard of faith . That rnav be the law for those
within his pale : Illa , se jactet in aula JEolus . There is and will be , I am persuaded , a body of Unitarians , however small , who will be contented with the short creed given , by our Master : " This is life eternal to know
thee , the only true God , and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent : " and to all who hold this faith they will be happy in holding out the right hand of fellowship , though they may
entertain very different opinions on certain points , which Mr . Belsham lays down as essential to Unitarianism . In this small number I profess to be . W , FREND .
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ship ; and that Jesus Christ was the ttfoa eminent of those messengers which he v employed to reveal his will to mankind possessing extraordinary powers similaj to those received hy other prophets hut i a much higher degree . ' "
On this Notice I have only to observe , that the Resolution at Ilminster was expressed more loosely , to include Unitarians of every description ; and that it was directed to be inserted in
the Catalogues ^ and I think in the Monthly ^ Repository - , but that the above Notice was sent when the writer was from home , and he had no document to refer to .
To explain the share which I took in the proposed alteration , I must be indulged in a retrospective detail . About the time when the W . U . S . was to be held in Exeter , ( 1811 , when Mr . Kentish delivered his excellent discourse on the Connection
between the Simplicity of the Gcspel , and the Leading Doctrines of the Pro * testant Cause , } its exclusive constitution formed the subject of discussidn . Some , who on the ground of Christian duty united jvith us in the Exclusive Worship of God even the Father , and in the close bonds of Christian
communion , and were very solicitous to promote , and to see promoted , the great principles which separate the Unitarian from the worship and communion of every other body of Christions , felt painfully that the limiting restriction of our Preamble preveuted them from uniting with us in our
exertions ; which , but for that profession or test , they could conscientiously have done , I represented that the expression respecting the person of Christ was worded so generally , that some who did not believe in the
Simple Humanity , had felt themselves at liberty to join us . The answer was , If the expression is not designed to exclude the believer in the Pre-^ xistence , why not make it less
definite ? I was myself satisfied that by the original constitution of the Society , it was so designed ; but I saw no reason why it should be so limited , as to exclude those whom Mr .
Belsham himself allowed to be Unitarians . And if it could not be so far altered , my own wish was , that it should be made more definite . . , On conferring with the two fricri whose opinions were likely to decw *
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••• v ^ r ilHIfl ^^^ B ^^^^^^ MM Bristol , Sin , December ^ , 1819 . MR . BELSHAM'S communica tion , respecting tjie proceed
mgs at the last annual meeting of the Western Unitarian Society * appears to me to require some notice on the part pf those who supported the alteration to which he refers .
As a part of my case , I must beg you to insert the Notice which was given of the approaching Meeting in your Number for June [ p . 396 ] ,
u Agreeably to the resolutions of the General Meeting- of 1818 , it will be referred to the ensuing Meeting " , to consider the propriety of alteiing that part of the Preamble which relates to the doctrinal
principles on winch the Society is founded , so as to open it to all who worship the Father as the only true God , and worship him alone . ** The part of the Preamble referred to l
i& as follows : —declaring * it to be the fundamental principle of the Society , in which we all agree , that there is but one God , the Creator and Governor of the universe ) without an equal or a vicegerent , the only proper object of religious wor ~
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744 Dr . Carpenter on Proceedings in the Western Unitarian Society .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Dec. 2, 1819, page 744, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1779/page/28/
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